Electric furnace for producing gas reactions.



UNITED STATES PATENT OEFICE.

HARRY PAULING, OF GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRM OFSALPETERSAtl'RE-INDUSTRIE-GESELLSCHAFT G. M. B. H., OF COLOGNE, GER-MANY.

T all whom it may concern Be it known that I, I-IARIH Pxtmixo. a

subject of the King of Prussia, residing at Gelsenkirchen, in theKingdom of Prussia and German Empire, have invented newand usefulImprovements in Electric Furnaces for Producing Gas Reactions,vof whichthe following is a specificationl v This invention relates to electricfurnaces for roducin as reactions and it com I. a b I prises suitablyarranged mam electrodes and igniting or starting electrodes, and meansfor water-cooling said igniting electrodes,

-with the main electrodes in order to avoid the use of excessivelyhighinitialrvoltage which would otherwise be necessary to strike an arcdirectlyvacross theiair gap between the electrode terminals. Theseigniting or starting electrodes have heretofore been arranged that theybecome intensely heated by the hot gases in the furnace, in conse-'quence of which they lose their stiffness, become liable to bend, andthus give rise to disturbances. culties and to attain certain addedadvantages,lprovide means for cooling the igniting electrodes without inanyway interfer ing with their freedom of adjustment. For example, eachstarting electrode may be laterally inclosed by a water jacket which isbest arranged to fit said electrode as closely as is consistent withfree longitudinal adjustment of the electrode therein. Since it also isadvisable to cool the main as well as the auxiliary electrodes, it isconvenient to connect the cooling jacket of an igmiting electrode withthe coolin means for an adjacent main electrode. The main electrodes maybe hollow. and cooling water may thus hc circulated through theminternally from the water jackets of their respective auxiliaryelectrode or vice versa. A very con- \cnicnt method of :u'rnug'cment andone which ispretcrrcd herein. is to provide within the i-ulttlllltthrough which coolin; water is supplied to the main electrode, a tube orhol- Fig. 1.

In order to avoid these difli- ELECTRIC FURNACE FOR PRODUCING GASREEkCTIONS.

Patented June 18, 1912;

I Application filed October 24, 1911. Serial No. 656,471.

low sleeve within which is slidably mounted the igniting electrode. Theannular space between the tube and the conduit serves as a jacketwherein water cools the igniting electrode externally and then passes onto'the main electrode which, in the example supposed, is cooledinternally. A unitary and compact cooling system is thus provided forpreventing undue heating of cithcr the main or the auxiliary electrodes.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown diagrammatically anassemblage of apparatus elements embodying the present invention. Forpurposes of illustration the invention is shqwn as applied to divergingelectrodes.'

In this showing, Figured is an elevation of an arrangement of electrodesunder the present invention, parts being shown in sec-' tion; and Figs.2 and 3 are cross-sections on,

the lines-AB and C--D, respectively, of

Referring-to the drawings, the igniting electrode rt 1s inclosed in atube 6 which is surrounded by a second tube In the space between the twotubes water is caused to circulate. As shown, the tube 0 forms with thetube Z) an annular water supply conduitopening directly into theinterior of the hol-v low main electrode (Z. In the embodiment hereillustrated, this annular conduit is practically an integral extensionof the main electrode. \Vater supplied torthe conduit 0- thus firstsurrounds the tube b containing the igniting electrode and then passesintothe principal electrode, although the opposite course can also headopted. As the igniting electrode a has a knifeshape it does notentirely fill the guiding pipe Z) and it is therefore necessarytoprovide a device to close the end of-said pipe.

i For example,a sleeve. c may be attached. to the end of each igniting,electrode, which sleeve is provided with an external screw threadengaging a corresponding internal thread within the pipe, and is alsoprovided with a longitudinal opening of the same sectional size andshape as the igniting electrode, By turning the sleeve 0 about its axisthe igniting electrode can be brought into an exactly vertical position,which is of advantage for the proper working of the apparatus. When theslot of the sleeve c is burned out or stopped up a new sleeve can easilybe inserted,

able igniting electrodes jacketed by said annular conduits.

2. An electric furnace comprising in combination, main electrodes, pipesto' supply water to cool said main electrodes, igniting electrodespassing through said pipes, pipes inclosing said igniting electrodes insaid water supply pipes, and a sleeve attached to the end of each saidigniting electrode, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.

3. An electric furnace comprising, in combination, hollow mainelectrodes, water supply conduits leading to the interior of saidelectrodes, and i niting electrodes arranged within said conduits,

duit leading to the interior of said electrode,

a tube arranged within said conduit to form a water jacket therewith,and an igniting electrode arranged within said-tube, said ignitingelectrode being adjustable longitudinally within said tube.

In testimony whereof I have signed my,

name to this specification in the presence of two SHbSCIIbIIIgwitnesses.

HARRY PAULING.

Witnesses RICHARD Mmugnn, MARGARETE KiiPPERs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained 10: five cents each; by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O.

